The SingHealth Regional Health System (RHS) recognises that our population can be empowered to stay healthy in their communities and homes. To achieve this, we work closely with partners across the care continuum, such as General Practitioners, Intermediate and Long-Term Care agencies, and Voluntary Welfare Organisations to provide care and social support for the population.

As an academic RHS, we also leverage health services research to better understand the population’s healthcare needs and provide care based on those needs.

OUR PRIORITIES:

  • Facilitate timely discharge from acute hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics to primary and/or community care settings
  • Build capabilities of primary and community care partners in the RHS
  • Keep the population healthy through health promotion and education
  • Improve care transition back to the community for persons with complex conditions and reduce their readmission to hospital

INITIATIVES:

Early detection through community screenings

  • Since June 2015, 550 residents have benefited from community health or dental screenings in five constituencies (Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru, Mountbatten, Radin Mas, Henderson-Dawson and Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng)
  • More than 80% of residents screened were found to have abnormal or at-risk results. Those with abnormal results were referred to GP partners near them for follow-up care. Free screenings will be offered to residents in Sengkang and Punggol from October this year

Millennia Kids Programme

  • In partnership with Health Promotion Board, Sport Singapore and Tobacco Free Generation 2000, Sengkang Health has been promoting healthy living to primary school students via workshops, task cards and training them to be Healthy Living Advocates in the Northeast region
  • To date, 4,500 students and their families have participated in healthy living workshops, activities and family carnivals

Partners in asthma care

  • KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital has been working with 310 GPs and paediatricians to care for 1,300 children with stable asthma. According to the caregivers surveyed, 92% of the children remained exacerbation-free, and 75% did not have any symptoms of asthma within the first six months

Reducing waiting time for heart patients

  • Family physicians at SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) are now able to order advanced cardiac diagnostic tests such as treadmill ECG and 24-hour Holter for patients who fulfil certain criteria. Tests are performed at the National Heart Centre Singapore and National University Heart Centre, Singapore
  • This has helped patients to be diagnosed and treated more expediently. Of 114 patients who underwent cardiac diagnostics between July 2015 and April 2016, 76% had normal results and continued to be managed by SHP family physicians

Look out for more RHS initiatives in future TM articles.